Aimée Opera bouffe: Les Cent Vierges

Event Information

Venue(s):
Olympic Theatre

Proprietor / Lessee:
Samuel Colville
James E. [manager, proprietor] Hayes

Manager / Director:
Samuel Colville
James E. [manager, proprietor] Hayes
Carlo A. Chizzola

Conductor(s):
Charles [conductor] Van Ghel

Price: $1; $.50 gallery

Event Type:
Opera

Record Information

Status:
Published

Last Updated:
10 November 2024

Performance Date(s) and Time(s)

23 Dec 1872, 8:00 PM
24 Dec 1872, 8:00 PM
25 Dec 1872, Matinee
25 Dec 1872, 8:00 PM
26 Dec 1872, 8:00 PM
27 Dec 1872, 8:00 PM
28 Dec 1872, Matinee
28 Dec 1872, 8:00 PM

Performers and/or Works Performed

1)
Composer(s): Lecocq
Participants:  Aimée Opera Bouffe Company;  Monsieur [baritone] Duchesne (role: Poulardot);  Marie Aimée (role: Gabrielle);  [tenor] Juteau (role: Duke);  Mlle. [soprano] Bonelli (role: Elegantine);  [baritone] Lecuyer (role: Plupersonn);  [tenor] Marcas (role: Crockley);  Mlle. [soprano] Rolland (role: Fanny);  [tenor] Nardin (role: Brididick)

Citations

1)
Announcement: New York Herald, 15 December 1872, 6.

Plot summary.

2)
Announcement: New-York Times, 20 December 1872, 4.
3)
Advertisement: New-York Times, 22 December 1872, 7.
4)
Announcement: New York Herald, 22 December 1872, 5.

“The new opéra bouffe, ‘Les Cents Vierges,’ will be produced at the Olympic Theatre on Monday evening. The libretto shows it to be as indelicate as its predecessors, a fact which is probably a recommendation to such lovers of French music as are content to have it badly rendered for the sake of its ministrations to a depraved and morbid taste.”

5)
Advertisement: New York Herald, 22 December 1872, 4.

Complete roster.

6)
Announcement: New-York Times, 23 December 1872, 4.
7)
Announcement: New York Post, 23 December 1872, 2.
8)
Review: New-York Daily Tribune, 24 December 1872, 8.

Nearly illegible.

9)
Review: New-York Times, 24 December 1872, 4.

“The merriest entertainment of a season, at the Olympic Theatre, during which amusing performances have been numerous, was supplied to a very appreciative audience last evening, when ‘Les Cent Vierges’ was represented for the first time in America. For three hours the hilarity was almost unbroken, and while the heartiest laughter attended the recital of the libretto, the principal numbers of the score were redemanded with an earnestness too real not to be accepted as assurance of the popularity of M. Lecocq’s latest composition. The story of ‘Les Cent Vierges’—the most inoffensive, be it said, ever selected by either M. Offenbach or his rivals--merits a brief review [synopsis follows]. The plot, it will be admitted, is an ingenious one. It must be acknowledged, too, that although it sustains three acts, the interest does not flag for a minute. The dialogue is comical; one or two excisions will render it as innocuous as the most severe censor could desire. And the music is melodious and graceful; it is harmoniously and not noisily instrumented, and it does not include a dull bar. With this testimony as to the character of the libretto and score, it is not surprising that a smooth and spirited performance of ‘Les Cent Vierges’ should have secured its success. Yesterday, Mlle. Aimée as Gabrielle, acted with even more than her wonted animation, sang with an effect only impaired by a cold, and wore toilets of the most dazzling kind. Mlle. Bonelli assumed very efficiently the rôle of Eglantine. M. Juteau was as vivacious as ever as Anatole. M. Duchesne supplied a picture of Poulardot as elelaborate and droll as that of Gen. Boum. M. Lécuyer, as Plupersonn; M. Nardin, as Brididick, and M. Marcas, as Crockley, are also to be mentioned for commendable work. The representation, indeed, was, without doubt, the most complete yet offered by the troupe of Messrs. Chizzola & Co. A dashing quartet in act the first; a pretty duet, commencing ‘Nous allons le voir;’ an exquisite vocal waltz to the second act, interpreted by Mlle. Aimée, and a drinking song, with a quaint refrain, in act the third, were, on the occasion we write of, chosen for repetition by the audience. There will surely be no change of bill at the Olympic for a fortnight.”

10)
Review: New York Sun, 24 December 1872, 1.

“’Les Cents Vièrges,’ which was brought out last evening at the Olympic, is one of the cleverest and most spirited pieces of French humor that has been given in this city in many a day. The music is by Lecocq, and the words are the joint production of Messrs. Clairville, Chevot, and Duru.

French authors are a remarkably social set and have a special fondness for putting their wits together in the making of plays. They certainly have stimulated each other to good purpose in the present instance, for although ‘Les Cents Vièrges’ must be classed among operas, it has all the qualities of a first-rate farce-comedy, and would be enjoyable even if it was unaccompanied with a note of music.

The melodies are of an off-hand character, bright and pleasing enough, but not to be compared with Offenbach’s work; nor does this opera anywhere show evidence of very serious labor from the musical point of view. The music serves, however, to give variety and spice to the entertainment.

The world has always had to turn to the French stage to find the most finished acting, and the members of the Aimée company are very fair examples of the burlesque portion of that stage. Although they labor under the serious disadvantage of addressing an audience in a foreign tongue, nevertheless their drollery breaks through even that barrier and imparts its spirit to the audience. Certainly if the play had been in English it could hardly have been greeted with heartier or more spontaneous laughter, and this the highest compliment that could be paid to the talent of the actors.

The principal characters of the piece are sustained by Mesdemoiselles Aimée and Bonelli, and by Messieurs Juteau, Duchesne, Nardin, and Lecuyer, all of them comedians of superior talent, Duchesne was gloriously funny, especially in his character of a bride, and Mademoiselle Aimée was in the very best of humor, and in the third act fairly ran wild with the spirit of mischief.

The opera, we may add, has fewer objectionable features than most of its class, though we presume no one is quite so unsophisticated as to expect to find any opera bouffe wholly free from all flavor of indelicacy.” 

11)
Review: New York Herald, 24 December 1872, 4.

“After the popularity of the music of ‘Fleur de Thé’ it might be expected that a fresh work by Charles Lecocq would be looked forward to with interest. ‘Les Cents Vierges’ is the second opera of this composer produced in this country. There are the same elements of popularity, if not to an equal extent, in the music as in ‘Fleur de Thé.’ The opening is unfortunate—being a wretched specimen of the song and dance order, as unlikely hornpipe and as un-English as the entire surroundings of the English tavern in which it is supposed to take place. Gabrielle (Mlle. Aimée) has a monopoly of the musical bonbons.  Her opening couplets, ‘J’ai la tete romanesque,’ are rather pretty, with a catching little mazurka ripple running through, and her indignant remonstrance with the governor in the second act has the true bouffe sparkle in it. The gem of the opera as a solo is the air, ‘Je soupire et maudis le destin,’ which is meritorious enough to grace the score of an opéra comique. Mlle. Aimée was in unusually good voice, and gave effect to some of the really fine music that fell to her share. There are two remarkably clever and, we might say, irresistible concerted pieces, one in the first act, a humorous description of the method of making an omelette, and a quartet in the second act, ‘Silence! Silence!’ In the latter, however, there are evident signs of the composer’s knowledge of a certain, ‘Zitti, zitti,’ by Verdi. Anatole (M. Juteau) has a laughable song in the second act, ‘J’ai pour mari,’ which in melody, if such a word can be applied to a piece of sheer extravagance and instrumentation, is equal to the best effort of Offenbach. Mlle. Bonelli appeared in the character of Eglantine, the coquettish wife of a very demonstrative and florid individual named Poulardot, who was represented by an abundance of unction and humor by M. Duchesne. These are the only rôles in a musical point of view worth mentioning. There is nothing in the opera that can compare with the dashing ‘Cliquot’ song or the wedding chorus in ‘Fleur de Thé,’ but there are many clever touches in the orchestration and ensembles. We prefer not dwelling on the plot or the dialogue. Few people can fathom the mysteries of an opéra bouffe plot, which for consistency stands alone. There are Englishmen who might be mistaken for Gascons, an impossible host, a ridiculous governor (M. Lecuyer), and his still more ridiculous secretary (M. Nardin).

Three Frenchmen contributed their peculiar talents in the manufacture of the dialogue, and they are, indeed, entitled to the honor of having produced something which, for genuine and unadulterated, undisguised and unmistakable indecency far surpasses anything ever heard on the American boards.” 

12)
Review: New York Clipper, 04 January 1873, 318.
Cast listing. “Only one other opera by that composer [Lecocq] had hitherto been produced in this country—‘Fleur de Thé’ (The Tea Flower)—which met with much success, owing to the popularity of the music. The opera at present under consideration possesses many of the same elements. M’lle. Aimée’s opening number—‘I have a Romanesque head’—was very pretty, and charmingly sung. There are two excellent concerted pieces—one in the first act, being a humorous description of the manner of making an omelette; the other, in the second, a quartet, ‘Silence, Silence.’ M. Juteau had a laughable song in the second act—‘I have for a husband’—which was very effectively sung. We think that the gem of the opera is a solo, ‘I sigh and imprecate the destiny.’ M’lle. Aimée was in unusually good voice, sang the music allotted her with taste and acted Gabrielle with much vivacity. Mlle. Bonelli was seen to advantage as Eglantine. M’lle. Roland made a sprightly barmaid, and won considerable applause by dancing a hornpipe in her opening scene. M. Juteau as the Duke Anatole infused that character with much comicality, and when attired in female costume in the second act was irresistibly funny. M. Lecuyer was effective as the ridiculous governor, Plupernonn. M. Duchesne acter Poulardot with unction and humor. M. Nardin as the governor’s secretary, Brididick, deserves a word of commendation, as does M. Juteau for his excellent make up as Captain Thompson.  He achieved greater [illegible] were both good. Owing to unpropitious weather the attendance has not been such as might have been expected upon the initial production of a new opera.”